Help! False prophets Psycho Abuse Suffering in Silence Ads can deceive Standard Contracts Health or Job? Listen with ur eyes How to score at job interview Neither a borrower ..... Part of Family? Why say no when one means yes No trust, no stay Relationship Is the customer always right? Thrifty is not a dirty word Culture Gap Single or Married? Dear FDW Home |
Sometimes the lips and the body contradict each otherAn interview is really a two-way street, with information flowing in both directions, from employer (usually a company) to job applicant and from job applicant to employer. This is especially so if the job requires a lot of training and there are not many qualified applicants around. For a junior position where there are many applicants competing for one or two positions, the applicant is happy just to get the job so she does not ask so many questions and the interview is one-way. She will need to know the basic items though: the salary, rest days and duties to be performed.Usually it does not require much effort to establish these three basic items. Assuming that FDW is happy with the salary offered, the days of rest given and the duties she has to perform, the character of Madam and her family members is perhaps even more important. What use is it to get a job with the right salary and right number of off days, if FDW cannot hold the job for more than a few months! What are the factors that will decide if the FDW can last for two years?
First, Madam's expectations are very important. Is Madam particular about puntuality? Of course, westerners are more particular about punctuality than Asians. A domestic helper who has no idea what punctuality is should not even consider working for a westerner! What about food? Does Madam expect a high standard of cooking from FDW? It is not useful to ask Madam directly, "Are you fussy (or particular) about food?" for the answer may not be accurate. For what is particular to someone is normal to another person. Furthermore, will she admit she is fussy? Ask Madam, for example, "What is your favourite fish preparation?" If the answer is "Oh, I like it cooked any way, steamed, fried, sweet and sour or barbecued," FDW has less to worry about, if she can prepare fish in two or three different ways. More important of course, is Madam's expectations where childcare is concerned. Direct questions are not very useful here. Better to try to establish Madam's attitude to her children's behaviour. Does Madam believe children need to behave or should be allowed to do as they please? Observe the children's behaviour and decide if they will be difficult to handle. Observe Madam's reaction to her children's behaviour. Does FDW think they are a nuisance but Madams think they are cute? If Madam can accept behaviour that FDW finds stressful, then of course, FDW should be prepared to adapt to the children's behaviour or look elsewhere for a safer assignment. But one more question. This time, the answer comes from FDW herself. If this job is not what FDW is happy to accept, what is the alternative? If the alternative is having to go home, should FDW take a risk and hope that she will survive? Will she give up without even trying? FDW should have some idea from the questions Madam asks about her cooking ability. FDW, to be sure she has heard it correctly, might ask Madam to repeat or rephrase her question. If FDW has any doubts about the standard of her own cooking, she should find out if Madam will give her time to improve. Sometimes what is said is not so important as how it is said. By observing Madam's body, language, by listening with your eyes. This information will not be easily obtained by a question and answer session, but by observation. DH cannot be asking, "Madam, are you fussy?" She cannot be asking, "Madam, are your children naughty?" DH must "listen between the lines". Observe Madam, observe the children, "listen" to the body language.
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